Britannia Bridge, Menai Strait

The Britannia bridge and Menai bridge link Anglesey with mainland Wales. When first conceived by Robert Stephenson, the tubular bridge was to have been suspended from cables strung through the openings at the tops of the towers. However, after engineering calculations and tests of the finished tubes it was decided that they were strong enough by themselves to carry the trains. Like the Menai Bridge, the stonework of the Britannia Bridge was constructed of limestone from Penmon, although sandstone from various places was used internally. The steel tubes themselves were constructed on the banks of the Strait.

There are four magnificent limestone lions guarding the entrances to the bridge. They were carved by John Thomas, who had also done stone carving for the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace in London. The lions are almost 4 metres high and sit on plinths of equal height. The bridge was opened on 5 March 1850. The present day bridge has a much different appearance than the original. This is because it has been reconstructed after a disastrous fire in 1970. South of the bridge is a statue erected in honour of Lord Nelson.